Capt. Garrett Grissom (inside window) watches Cadet Zach Kumbalek climb up the ladder as he trains on how to enter a second story window during training at the new firefighter training facility behind Manitowoc Fire and Rescue Station No. 3. Sue Pischke/HTR Media. Photo taken on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014. Sue Pischke/HTR Media

Capt. Garrett Grissom, left, with Cadet Zach Kumbalek carry out a ladder to start training on how to enter a second story window at the new firefighter training facility behind Manitowoc Fire and Rescue Station No. 3. Sue Pischke/HTR Media. Photo taken on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014. Sue Pischke/HTR Media

Capt. Garrett Grissom, left, with Cadet Zach Kumbalek set-up a ladder to start training on how to enter a second story window at the new firefighter training facility behind Manitowoc Fire and Rescue Station No. 3. Sue Pischke/HTR Media. Photo taken on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014. Sue Pischke/HTR Media

Capt. Garrett Grissom, left, with Cadet Zach Kumbalek set-up a ladder to start training on how to enter a second story window at the new firefighter training facility behind Manitowoc Fire and Rescue Station No. 3. Sue Pischke/HTR Media. Photo taken on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014. Sue Pischke/HTR Media

Cadet Zach Kumbalek trains on how to enter a second story window during training at the new firefighter training facility behind Manitowoc Fire and Rescue Station No. 3. Sue Pischke/HTR Media. Photo taken on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014. Sue Pischke/HTR Media

Capt. Garrett Grissom (inside window) watches Cadet Zach Kumbalek climb up the ladder as he trains on how to enter a second story window during training at the new firefighter training facility behind Manitowoc Fire and Rescue Station No. 3. Sue Pischke/HTR Media. Photo taken on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014. Sue Pischke/HTR Media

Cadet Zach Kumbalek works on victim rescue training as he drags a dummy made out of old fire hoses from the new firefighter training facility behind Manitowoc Fire and Rescue Station No. 3. Sue Pischke/HTR Media. Photo taken on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014. Sue Pischke/HTR Media

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Kumbalek, an intern from Fox Valley Technical College, is decked out in fire gear and learning the ropes.

As part of the exercise, firefighter/paramedic Tim Dykstra crawls along the ground pulling a heavy, life-sized dummy constructed of old fire hoses to demonstrate how to rescue a person from a burning building.

The two-story, 16-by-32 house they're using for practice is the department's new training building behind the Manitowoc Fire and Rescue Station No. 3 at 3820 Dewey St.

The public is invited to see the building during a ribbon cutting and presentation from 11 a.m. to noon on Oct. 11, followed by the station's annual open house until 3 p.m.

House is versatile

The two-story house has moveable walls, removable floors and a staircase leading to a wooden balcony.

"I tried to design it sort of like a small house so we can be creative in our training," said Ben Kraynek, president of the Friends of the Manitowoc Fire Department, which raised the funds for building the structure. "I left it an open footprint, so we can use pieces of wood to split the building into different rooms."

The house has a pitched roof with a removable panel to give firefighters practice cutting a hole through it with a chain saw. "On any fire scene, this is the most dangerous operation," Kraynek said. "We designed it close to the ground so when the real thing happens, you're comfortable doing it."

It takes more than 200 repetitions to convert an action to muscle memory, he said. Repetitive practice of skills helps alleviate some of factors associated with the stress of a real emergency, including the loss of fine motor skills and cognitive abilities, he said.

The beauty of the training building is that it's right in their own backyard.

"Being at Station Three, I love having this here," Grissom said, proclaiming the structure rugged enough to withstand the wear and tear of repeated training drills.

"Before the structure, we never really had a place to practice," Kraynek said, citing more rigid regulations governing vacant buildings that departments once used for practice.

Friends group made structure a reality

"The Friends should be commended. The opportunity to have a building like this is invaluable," said Fire Chief Todd Blaser. "It completes the whole learning process and also allows an opportunity to collaborate with mutual aid departments. We're proud of Ben. He had a vision and he followed up on that vision."

Capt. Garrett Grissom watches from the window as Cadet Zach Kumbalek climbs up the ladder and practices safely entering a second story window at the new firefighter training facility behind Manitowoc Fire and Rescue Station No. 3.
(Photo:
Sue Pischke/HTR Media
)

The group raised more than $50,000 for building the facility. The campaign is in its second stage, which is raising money to buy firefighting equipment to use exclusively for training, Fricke-Weigel said.

Toward that goal, the group has raised $10,000 so far and is hoping to raise a total of $25,000, she said.

The third portion of the campaign will be raising money for an endowment fund of $25,000 to be used for upkeep, Fricke-Weigel said.

"I would really like to thank all of the people who have come forward to help donate for the training facility," she said.

Monetary donations may be sent to Friends of the Manitowoc Fire Department, P.O. Box 2342, Manitowoc, WI 54221-2342.